Dance With Me
by Snow-Leopard-Patronus
Summary: Kendra and Darren become great friends and maybe something more, but in another world, they're enemies.What happens when they find out about their secret identities? Will they stay friends, or will they lose the only love they ever had? Rated for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Kendra and Darren become great friends and maybe something more, but in another world, they're enemies. What happens when they find out about their secret identities? Will they stay friends, or will they lose the only love they ever had?**

**This practically has nothing to do with the books. I may have some references to SS, CoS, and PoA, but I'm taking out the Triwizard Tournament and pretty much everything from GoF. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and I will not, ever. However Kendra (sort of), Darren (sort of), Mrs. Sine, and Sydney are mine. Don't take them!**

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The music seemed to carry her as she glided across the polished wood floor. She counted the steps in her head and stared at her reflection in the wall mirror, watching her posture. She jumped, kicked, and swirled until the song faded away. The applause seemed faint because of her heavy breathing and pounding heart. She smiled, bowed and sat back down at her seat, bottle of water in hand.

Kendra Mastiff blushed humbly under the congratulations she received on her performance. Her thin blonde hair had almost completely fallen out of her messy bun and she pushed a few pieces out of her face. Her pale green eyes were still bright with excitement and her red face hid the freckles on her nose and cheeks. The fifteen-year-old gave a sigh of relief; she had been nervous about that performance, but she had done it.

"Very good, Miss Mastiff." Kendra's teacher, Ms. Sine had moved to center stage and smiled warmly at Kendra. Mrs. Sine had short dark brown hair with eyes to match. Her skin was the color of roasted almonds and was clear of any blemishes.

Once again, Kendra blushed at the praise. Kendra was very modest and wasn't a big fan of the spotlight. She was never the first of her class to beg for the lead role, even though she was one of the best dancers, and got the lead anyway.

"I will see everyone tomorrow. Good night." Ms. Sine dismissed the class. Everyone packed up their clothes and headed to the locker rooms. **(I haven't had dance lessons since 2002, so I really don't know if there are locker rooms or not.)** As Kendra was putting her shoes into her bag, she heard a voice from behind her.

"Nice job Kendra." She felt her face get hot as she turned around and looked into the ice blue eyes of Darren Tawn. His brown hair was swiped to the side and his white smile made Kendra's heart melt.

"Oh, th-thanks Darren." Kendra mentally cursed herself for stuttering. "You also did well." She cursed herself again for sounding like her mother.

Darren grinned sheepishly. "Thanks. I really don't think it was my best performance, but it's just dance class right?"

"Yeah, right." She laughed nervously. They fell into an awkward silence, Kendra staring hopelessly into Darren beautiful eyes.

"Well, I'd better go, my dad's probably already waiting outside." Darren said quickly. After he left, Kendra slumped down in the chair and groaned loudly.

"What is my problem?" She asked no one in particular. She stood up and sadly walked to the locker room, mulling over her trouble with Darren Tawn.

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The sun stung Kendra's eyes as she walked out of the dance studio. The neon sign above her read "Silver Toe Dance Co.". A giant silver ballet slipper, the studio's symbol, hung right below it. Kendra really loved Silver Toe; she had been going there since she was six. She received her first gold medal when she was seven. In the same year she received her very first pair of toe shoes. Then, she was eight when she was chosen to play the lead role in the Level 3 production of Swan Lake. When she was nine, she met Darren, and-

Kendra slapped her forehead in frustration. No matter what she thought about, Darren always came up. She just didn't understand him. Every time she so much as looked at him, her knees became weak and her face got hot. He was nice and cute and absolutely perfect. The problem was, she didn't know how to talk to him. All the girls in her dance class were always talking about their boyfriends and how they seemed to have dates every week. Kendra had never actually had a boyfriend.

She became really discouraged whenever she thought about her not having many friends or never having a boyfriend. Her parents were always telling her not to be so hard on herself, but she couldn't help it. She never could do anything with her hair with it being so thin, and her eyes were really pale and not very pretty at all. Her freckles were really ugly and she didn't even have the structure of a dancer. Her thighs were too big and her shoulders too broad. She was also a total bookworm. Not many people knew because she tried to hide it most of the time, but she loved to read. She was also really smart, but not many people knew about that either since she didn't go to school around here.

Kendra lived in a small town in Kentucky that no one had ever heard of before. She had become accustom to calling it Nowhere, Kentucky, since it really was out in the middle of nowhere. However, she only lived there during the summer. During the other seasons, she went somewhere totally different, but no one knew. Actually, no one really asked her where she lived. They were all too focused about their beauty and popularity to think about little nobody Kendra Mastiff.

There she went, belittling herself again. Kendra sighed and just brushed all thoughts out of her head as she walked home. She began thinking about nothing. It was if her mind was completely blank, but she could think about it. She really liked this ability because then she could just push the world away from her, if only for a few moments.

Kendra was so wrapped up in her thoughts about nothing that she didn't hear a voice calling behind her. Finally, she was jerked out of her pointless ramblings when someone yanked on her arm. Kendra spun around to see if she needed to defend herself, but she relaxed when she realized it was just Sydney Parker, her best friend.

"Ken, I've been shouting to you for the past, like, five minutes. Where'd you go?" She asked breathlessly. Kendra grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, I was off in my own world again."

"Of course, you always are. But, you seem a little down today. What's up?" Sydney asked innocently.

Kendra sighed, her thoughts turning back to her earlier encounters. She told Sydney, who, luckily, was a great listener, everything down to her degrading thoughts of herself. When she finished, she was surprised to find tears burning the back of her throat. She swallowed hard and waited for her friend's advice.

Sydney was thinking hard, her sky blue eyes squinted in concentration. She absently twirled a bit of her mousy brown hair as they continued walking in silence. Finally, Sydney just sighed and turned to Kendra.

"Look Ken, I don't know what to do for you. I'm not really good with this kind of stuff."

Kendra snorted. "Yeah right! You have almost every guy on your block wanting to go out on a date with you."

"Well, that's because I just have a really outgoing personality. You're a lot shyer than I am, so that's probably why a lot of people don't know you exist." Sydney explained. Kendra wished that Sydney wasn't so frank about some things. It kind of hurt, although she knew her friend didn't mean for it to."

"Well, if you were in my situation, what would you do?" Kendra asked, hoping to get some semblance of an answer.

"I would just go up and talk to him. About anything. Talk about the dance class, school, music, even the weather. What you need to do is avoid awkward silences. I know, it's hard, but an awkward silence is the best way for someone to get out of a conversation." Kendra nodded. She was glad her friend actually knew what she was talking about. "Also," Sydney continued," you need to not be so self-conscious. That's another thing that brings you down. If you're always thinking about how terrible and ugly you are, you're going to start turning emo. And nobody likes emos. **(but i have nothing against emos)** Just, be happy and friendly. It's really all you can do."

Kendra sighed, Sydney was right. All she had to do was talk to Darren. But it was_ so hard_!!! She always got super-nervous around him and she was always afraid that she would say something stupid or offensive.

Kendra and Sydney lived on different streets, so, promising that they'd call each other later, the girls split and headed home.

Once Kendra reached her house, she threw her bag on the floor and ran up to her room. She jumped onto her bed and just laid there a minute, staring at her gold ceiling. Even though Sydney's advice was hard to chew, Kendra knew she was right. She had to talk to Darren; it would be the only way he would ever be hers.

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**I know that right now it doesn't sound anything like a Harry Potter fanfiction, but it is. We just have to work our way there. **

**I apologize for any mistakes. I'm sort of my own beta. (but if anyone would like to be my beta, please let me know hint hint)**

**I really hope that I can continue with this story. I always feel really bad about leaving stories hanging because I lost interest. Support from reviews will probably spur me to write! wink wink**

**S-L-P:)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. But Sophia is mine.**

**Also, I'd like to give a HUGE thank you to my beta, Tendrilofthought. You rock!**

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The next day, Kendra sprinted to Silver Toe, cursing herself for oversleeping. She burst through the heavy doors and sped to the dressing rooms. She threw on her dance clothes and stumbled into the practice area, breathing heavily and clutching her side.

The class fell silent when Kendra came in. She hoped that her red face concealed the blush that was creeping up her neck.

"Thank you for joining us Miss Mastiff." Ms. Sine said sharply. Great, she had to be late on a day that Ms. Sine was in a bad mood.

"Sorry" Kendra apologized

"No matter. We are about to start partner dancing, now that we've finished with the individual performances. I have chosen your partners." Loud groans followed this statement, but they were quieted by Ms. Sine's glare.

"These are the couples: Ashlee and Jackson, Lilac and Aaron, Cassandra and Mike, Sophia and Matt, and Kendra with Darren."

Kendra's heart skipped a beat. Her with Darren? This was a dream come true! And not only was she paired with Darren, but Sophia looked furious.

Sophia Cayden was the most popular girl at Silver Toe, and she was also really full of herself. But who could blame her? She had the perfect straight golden blonde hair and eyes like emeralds. She was skinny, but had enough curves to make her look gorgeous. Another public thing about Sophia was that she LOVED Darren. She stuck to him like glue and was super-possessive. The only flaw in her plan was that Darren didn't like her back. After he confided in her, Kendra found out that Darren though Sophia was a stuck up snob. But Sophia didn't know this. She thought Darren would be "by my side forever," "my one and only love" and "mine, mine, mine." None of these were true, but Sophia didn't have to know that.

Once everyone was standing with their partners, Ms. Sine explained the class's first dance.

"We will begin with a simple ballroom exercise," she said. "Gentlemen, place your right hand on your partner's waist and hold her right hand with your left. Ladies, place your left hand on your partner's shoulder and take his left hand with your right."

Kendra didn't dare look up at Darren as he placed his hand on her waist. As she blindly reached up to his shoulder, she heard Darren's voice."

"Kendra?" He asked.

"Yes?" She returned, still searching for his shoulder and staring at her feet.

"That's my face."

Kendra dropped her hand. Shyly, she looked up at Darren for the first time since they had been paired. His ice blue eyes were sparkling with amusement and a light smile was tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Sorry." Kendra said. She lifted her hand and gently set it on Darren's strong shoulder, blushing furiously all the while. She was surprised when he let go of her hand and lightly patted her shoulder.

"You're nervous, it's fine. But you don't have to worry. I don't bite." He smiled slyly, flashing his pearly white teeth. Kendra hoped she didn't faint on the spot.

"If everyone is ready, we will begin with a simple waltz." Ms. Sine instructed. She quickly explained the steps and began.

"Ready, and, one, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. Turn, two three."

Kendra was captured by the music as she and Darren glided across the floor. She stared dreamily into his eyes as the waltz continued. They were spinning, stepping, and sliding into eternity. It was then that Kendra realized that the music she was hearing was actually playing in her head. The actual music had stopped, and so had the other dancers. Darren and Kendra stopped their magical dance abruptly and both blushed when the class applauded them

"Miss Mastiff! Mr. Tawn! How beautiful!" Ms. Sine cheered. "That was the most amazing waltz I have ever seen from my students. There is a very strong connection between you two. You would be perfect for the lead roles of our dance recital. If I could, I would choose you both at this very instant!"

Kendra's heart skipped a beat. Her and Darren, lead roles in the recital? That would be the most magnificent thing ever. And what made it even better was that a certain blonde haired dancer was looking a bit more green- and not just in her eyes- than usual.

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Kendra walked to the dressing rooms in a daze. She and Darren had done beautifully, especially since it was just the first day with partners. Ms. Sine was right- they did have a connection. When she stared into Darren's eyes and danced with him, Kendra felt relaxed and comfortable. She felt at home in his arms. And she loved every second of being with him.

As Kendra passed one of the dressing rooms, she heard muffled voices, one of which she recognized as Darren's. Curiously, she opened the door a crack and peered in. Kendra held in a gasp as she saw Sophia and Darren making out like there was no tomorrow.

"Come on, Darren," Sophia's sultry voice oozed, "you know you don't want to share the lead role with _Kendra_." She spat the word "Kendra" as if it were disgusting on her lips. "Don't get her hopes up. Tell her that you dance better with me. I think we both know that's what you want to do."

She began kissing him again, and her arms snaked around his neck while she ruffled his rich brown hair. Kendra was waiting for Darren to pull away, to confess his true love for Kendra. But he didn't.

Choking back a sob, Kendra ran. She didn't care that she was still in her dance clothes; she just had to get away from that scene.

As she ran, Kendra began to think. Darren had told her that he thought Sophia was a snob. Had he been lying? Was he just protecting her feelings? No way- Darren would never do something like that. He would never lie to her.

_Would he?_

Kendra shoved the doors of the dance studio open and was immediately soaked by the pouring rain. Hadn't it been a nice day earlier? But her surroundings faded as the picture of Sophia and Darren came back even stronger in her mind. The image was so glaring that she ran right past Sydney, who was waiting with an umbrella.

"Ken, finally! I've been waiting for yo- Ken? Kendra! What's wrong?" Sydney shouted, her voice getting caught in the thunder.

Kendra ignored her friend and kept running, tears pouring down her cheeks and mixing with the cold rain. She would run to the ends of the earth if it would help her escape the pictures in her mind. As Kendra tore through the park, her mind began to register some noise.

"Kendra! Kendra!" Blindly, Kendra turned around to see the outline of a person running toward her. She noticed that her legs had become weak from all of the running, so Kendra slowed down. The rain only poured harder as the figure came into view.

Kendra's bloodshot eyes took in the soaking chestnut hair, sturdy figure, and blue eyes of Darren Tawn. With disgust, Kendra turned to get away from the dancer that she had thought she "had a connection with". Kendra tensed when the hand that had lightly patted her shoulder before roughly turning her around to face its owner.

"Kendra, I don't know what you saw in the dressing room, but it's not what you think," Darren said breathlessly.

"Oh, so you and Sophia weren't all over each other?" Kendra spat.

"No! Sophia was all over me, but that was it!" Darren replied, as if that explained everything.

"Well, you certainly weren't doing anything to keep her off!" Kendra said venomously, not accepting his mediocre answer.

"I'm a guy, what do you expect?"

"I _expect_ you to listen to your heart."

"But I have hormones and-"

"Heck with your hormones. You have a heart- I know you do! And if you were as kind as I thought you were, you would have listened to it and pushed Sophia away!"

By now the wind had picked up and it became hard to hear anything.

"But Kendra-"

"No, Darren, I don't want to hear it. Just go back to your girlfriend and leave me alone!" Kendra turned and began to run again. However, she didn't get far.

The events of the day came rushing back to her, ripping through her clouded mind. Finally, the fatigue consumed her and she fell into darkness, as the wind, rain, thunder, and Darren's voice all slowly faded away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the next chapter for you all. Real quick though, I've been asked a few times if this is actually a Harry Potter story. My answer is yes. I'm sorry it's taking so long to get the HP element in; I certainly didn't plan it to be this way. I just need a few more chapters to move along the storyline and then the magic will come.**

**Thanks to my beta, Tendrilofthough, and of all my readers.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, period.**

**And remember, REVIEW!!!!**

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A few days later, Kendra sat on a fuzzy, bright blue chair in her room. She glared at a spot on her green wall, thinking.

After she had passed out, Kendra had woken up on her bed, with her mother's worried face over her. Her mother had said that a nice young man had carried her home. He said that he had found her unconscious in the middle of the street, but he didn't know why. Kendra had merely scowled, knowing it was Darren who had taken her home. He may have thought that this was the way to smooth things over between them. Boy, was he wrong.

The rest of the week had been just as awful. Kendra had been mad at Darren, and Darren seemed confused about how to handle this new Kendra. Their dancing wasn't dreadful, but it hadn't been amazing either. They had done every move in the perfect mechanical sense, but the emotional part of each dance had been lost to the pair, and was seemingly nowhere to be found.

Kendra could tell that Ms. Sine noticed the difference. When she introduced one of the dances, she put extra emphasis on passion. Kendra could also swear that she saw the teacher give a pointed look towards she and Darren.

Finally, on Friday, Ms. Sine held Kendra and Darren behind after class. Kendra walked to a corner of the practice room with her, trying to ignore Sophia as she gave Darren a long good luck kiss. When they were "finished", Darren walked to Kendra and Ms. Sine, an embarrassed look on his face.

"Alright, what's happened to the beautiful couple I saw on Monday?" The dance instructor asked, getting straight to the point. "That first day, you two glided across this floor, lost in each other's eyes. Now, Kendra, you look like a board when you're dancing. And normally you dance as freely as water. And Darren, you look as if you're unsure on how to hold Kendra. You've always been good with the ladies, and know exactly how to move with them."

"That's what you think." Kendra said, masking her comment with a (obviously fake) cough.

"What was that, Miss Mastiff?" Ms. Sine asked.

"What she means is that we're just going through a little rough spot. I'm sure we'll work through it soon," Darren intervened, swinging his arm over Kendra's shoulder. Kendra was shocked and excited until she felt him firmly pull a piece of her hair. "Right Kendra?" he asked through his large, fake smile.

"Of course. This will be resolved very quickly," Kendra said through gritted teeth. _"Especially if I went ahead and killed him,"_ she thought mischievously.

Luckily, Ms. Sine seemed to accept Darren's answer. "All right, you two. By this time next week, I expect you to be the phenomenal couple I admired on Monday. Do I make myself clear?"

Both Kendra and Darren nodded.

"Good. I will see you two next Monday. Dismissed."

The two students headed to the deserted dressing rooms together, and Ms. Sine went on her way to her office.

It was then that Kendra realized that Darren's arm was still slung over her shoulders. No matter how much she told herself she should, she couldn't seem to push it off.

"Answer me this, Kendra," Darren spoke up. "Are you just trying to make me look bad, or have you completely forgotten how to dance?"

"Neither," Kendra responded casually. "I'm just still really upset with you. Now that I think about it, though, the first option seems very tempting."

She looked up at Darren with a smirk. It faltered, however, when she saw Darren's concerned face.

"What did I do to make you hate me so much?" Darren asked, turning her around to face him. Kendra could see a mysterious emotion glowing in his eyes.

"It's just…" Kendra paused, thinking of the right words to say. "When I saw you and Sophia kissing, I felt like I was intruding on something. Since I know that you and Sophia are together, I just feel awkward dancing with you. I don't want your girlfriend to get the wrong idea."

That was a complete lie, but there was no way she was telling him the truth. Kendra couldn't tell him that seeing he and Sophia in that dressing room had shattered her fragile heart into a million pieces. It would just be… well, wrong… to do. Fortunately, Kendra was a very good liar.

Kendra realized that she was getting lost in thought, so she hesitantly looked up at Darren, seeing if he bought her story. Darren was staring intently into her eyes, his piercing blue gaze seeming to penetrate through her very soul.

"What?" Kendra asked, slightly annoyed. She didn't like people staring at her, especially if she hated the person staring. She began to worry, however, when she saw Darren slowly close his eyes and sigh. She wondered if he knew she was lying.

"I'm sorry, Kendra." Darren said softly, looking at her again.

"That's it, 'I'm sorry'?"

"Right now, that's all I can give. I know this must have been a real shock to you, and I feel really bad for not telling you sooner. I will make it up to you though. I promise," Darren said, sadness and remorse filling every word.

"Fine," Kendra said, tired of the conversation, and just wanting to go home.

They separated and went to their dressing rooms, both thinking the same thing:

How was Darren going to earn Kendra's trust again?


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